Ancient Goddesses Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

- by and +2
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- Philology, Religion, Ancient Egyptian Religion, Sumerian Religion

The myth of the descent of a goddess into hell and her return to the land of the living as an intermediary between the two realms is a central one in the development of the female psyche. Among the many goddesses and heroines associated with this mythic pattern are Persephone, Inanna, Psyche, and Eurydice, who in their various ways and for various reasons descend into hell, are transformed by what happens to them there and by interactions with shadow-goddesses who serve as mentors or opponents, and return to the world of the living (or fail to do so) with matured powers and abilities. This paper will examine these mythic stories and associations as they relate to Helena, the character who most dramatically exemplifies this pattern and whose thought processes are the most tied to religion, superstition, symbolism, and her own sense of special destiny. In her quest for family and for meaning, Helena makes descent after descent into hell, encountering evil kings (Tomas, Henrik, Pouchy) and female false guides (Rachel, Bonnie, Virginia). Her experiences enable her to serve as an angel of death (her vicious killings of other clones and of Henrik, and later her remarkably tender scenes killing Parsons and Rudy) and shaman (shape-shifting when impersonating other clones, and very specific shamanic imagery in her brief but bloody return at the end of season four). Helena's evolving story shows her returning to hell over and over again, at first passively (on the pattern of her earliest experience of being handed over to the convent at birth), but increasingly on her own volition to save her " sestras, " a turning point I will argue is symbolized when she devours the scorpion Pupok, the externalization of her own self-doubts disguised as self-preservation. Season five promises to expand on her role as avenging angel on behalf of her growing family of sestras and their mothers, brothers, spouses, and children—and perhaps further, as Rachel's plans to combine cloning and bot implants threatens the entire human race. " Every grain of wheat and every maiden contains […] all its descendants and all her descendants—an infinite series of mothers and daughters in one " (Jung and Kerenyi 153). " Every mother contains her daughter in herself and every daughter her mother, and […] every woman extends backwards into her mother and forward into her daughter " (162). (Slide: Title and opening quote) The myth of the descent of a goddess or heroine into hell and her return to the land of the living as an intermediary between the two realms is a central myth of the female experience. Among the most familiar goddesses and heroines associated with this mythic pattern are Persephone, Psyche, Eurydice, and Inanna, who in their various ways and for various reasons descend into hell, are transformed by what happens to them there and by interactions with gods and shadow-goddesses who serve as mentors or opponents, and return to the world of the living with matured powers and abilities— or fail to return and serve as a caution to others who would attempt this task. This mythic pattern is of course a variation on the hero-journey as described by Joseph Campbell. What distinguishes this particular group of stories from the more general

- by Janet Croft
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- Ancient Goddesses, Orphan Black

Exploring the tales of many of the mysterious and captivating Faerie Queens, this exceptional anthology contains eighteen essays exploring the diverse accounts and themes associated with the Faerie Queens and their influence in magic, literature and folklore. From the Arthurian mythos to Scandinavia, from ancient Greece to Renaissance poetry and beyond, the awesome power of the Faerie Queens to inspire, challenge and transform is investigated and discussed from both scholarly and personal perspectives.

- by Ceri Norman
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- Comparative Religion, Cultural History, Anthropology, Folklore
- by Susan Deacy and +1
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- Classics, Ancient Greek Religion, Athena, Ancient Goddesses

This is not work of mine, but primary source material. In 2015 the ancient goddess Aphrodite contacted me on Facebook; over the next several months she told me about her life in ancient times and her return to our world. I intend to write... more

- by Justin Jaron Lewis
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- Science Fiction, Aphrodite, Ancient Greek Mythology, Venus

1 Tabooed, worshipped, and sometimes exploited, the female breast is a visible, tangible and beautiful feature of the female body. Although it is a secondary sexual organ, and not necessary for reproduction, the female breast has an aesthetic and a functionality that makes it distinctly female. While the breast is physiologically a mammary gland designed to provide nourishment to newborn babies its physical feature, its sensitivity, and its oral practicality have created a fascination that influences the value placed on it both by men and women (Jones, 15). To understand contemporary attitudes about the female breast, it is necessary to analyze traditional and persistent symbolism, and imagery, around the concept of breastfeeding, and providing natural substance that has influenced modern Western culture. In monotheistic cultures such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the breast manifested sacredness and was believed to be the "spiritual nurturance of all Christian souls" (Yalom, 5). This tradition harkens back to the Paleolithic period where archaeologists found female figurines sculpted out of bone, stone, or clay, with prominent breasts, and a voluptuous female figure believed to be a symbolism of fertility, and healthy offspring. This paper will examine the primordial, exhilarating, and monstrous image of the multi-breasted goddess Artemis Ephesia, through the continued exhibition and overlapping influence of art and sculpture, and the discourse of mothering roles and identities reflected in Mother Goddess ritual and tradition.

- by Carla Ionescu
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- Roman History, Women's History, Gender and Sexuality, Bodies and Culture

This paper examines the representation of Minoan Crete within the feminist Goddess Movement, separatist, feminist, Dianic Witchcraft, and the male only Minoan Brotherhood. Analysis and critique of the matriarchalist understanding of Minoan material culture by these groups demonstrates that it is interpreted in a highly ideological manner that has little to do with actual Minoan religion.

- by Caroline J . Tully
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- Reception Studies, Pagan Studies, Paganism, Goddess Spirituality
- by Christine Morris and +1
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- Aegean Archaeology, Minoan Archaeology, Ancient Goddesses

Baba Jaga jest postacią powszechnie znaną oraz obecną w kulturze popularnej, jednak niewiele wiadomo o jej początkach. Badacze Słowian, folkloru polskiego i rosyjskiego zgodnie przyznają, że Baba Jaga pojawiła się w opowieściach ludowych bardzo wcześnie, a ślady jej obecności można zauważyć w kulturze wszystkich rejonów Słowiańszczyzny. Andreas Johns w swojej monografii zatytułowanej Baba Yaga: The Ambiguous Mother and Witch of the Russian Folktale stwierdza, że jest ona „jedną z najbardziej charakterystycznych i najsilniej zapadających w pamięć postaci wschodnioeuropejskiego folkloru” – a jednak pozostaje jedną z białych plam pośród naszej wiedzy o wierzeniach Słowian.
W podejmowanych przez badaczy próbach opisu tej postaci wyróżnić można trzy postawy: uznanie Baby Jagi za bóstwo słowiańskie, włączenie jej w poczet demonów oraz przedstawianie jej jako kobiety, czarownicy. W swoim wystąpieniu chciałabym skoncentrować się na koncepcjach dotyczących początków opowieści o Babie Jadze, genezy imienia oraz tradycyjnie przypisywanych jej atrybutów. Szczegółowej analizie poddam teorie rozstrzygające o jej naturze, szukając odpowiedzi na pytanie o jej miejsce w dawnych wierzeniach ludowych.
Próba interpretacji funkcji, jakie pełniła w dawnych opowieściach oraz przemian w sposobie jej opisu na przestrzeni wieków może stanowić kolejny głos w debacie na temat istnienia bądź braku zorganizowanego systemu mitów u Słowian, a przede wszystkim stanowi interesujący kierunek badawczy, do tej pory w Polsce niepodejmowany.

- by Bogumiła Dziel
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- Mythology And Folklore, Folklore, Mythology, Folktales

Al adentrarse en la lectura de la literatura grecorromana se puede identificar la importancia que se le daba a las diosas en esas sociedades. Dicha cosmovisión fue rechazada más tarde por el cristianismo dado que, si bien se preservó la figura de una divinidad femenina, esta perdió su condición de diosa para tomar un lugar secundario como la madre de Cristo. No obstante, el culto y el mito de las diosas ha perdurado hasta nuestros días. En este ensayo realizo un análisis sobre la continuidad y las rupturas del mito de la divinidad femenina al abordar el caso de la diosa griega Afrodita y su equivalente romana Venus. Ambas tradiciones literarias veían a esta deidad como la diosa del amor, sin embargo, cada una le dio rasgos específicos a su diosa que se encuentran ocultos bajo la aparente continuidad del mito.

ABSTRACT
Mention Minoans, and most people will call to mind vivid artistic images of Minoan females, from the
formidable serpent-wielding figures known as the Snake Goddesses to elegantly clad ladies on frescos and
gold rings. Imagery of this kind led Sir Arthur Evans to identify a Great or Mother Goddess at the heart
of Minoan religion. The idea that each and every female figurine represents a ‘mother goddess’ concerned
with fertility has been thoroughly critiqued by numerous scholars. Why then was the model of a mother
goddess so attractive to early archaeologists such as Evans? Why were her powers deemed to be centred on
fertility and motherhood, despite the evidence from many cultures that goddesses can and do also fulfil a
host of other functions? It may be argued that this narrow view was strongly informed by the complex social
and intellectual ideas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including social evolutionary theory,
Freudian psychology, and the construction of the female body in medicine. I suggest that another important
factor was the contemporary idealisation of, and preoccupation with, motherhood as a conscious social
strategy, in which motherhood was held to be crucial to the well-being of the imperial nation. This paper
explores this ideology of motherhood and its role in shaping Evans’s concept of a Minoan mother goddess.

- by Christine Morris
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- Archaeology, Gender Archaeology, Aegean Archaeology, Minoan Archaeology

Greek and Roman temples are often very similar in both appearance and function and yet at other times they can be vastly different. This essay compares Greek and Roman temples in both their architectural and functional capacities. It then focuses on two particular temples, the Metroon in the Athenian Agora and the Temple of Cybele on the Palatine Hill in Rome. While both of these temples are dedicated to the same deity and are situated in prominent civic positions, they are nevertheless very different, architecturally and functionally.

- by Caroline J . Tully
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- Ancient History, Classical Archaeology, Architecture, Roman Religion

The Mesopotamian goddess known as Gula, appears to emerge and intertwine with earlier goddess figures Baba/Bawa and Bau - themselves protective, healing dog deities of Sumer and Akkad. Some scholars believe the name Bau/ Bawa/Baba to be onomatopoeic, mimicking the bowow of a dog bark. Baba and Bau probably echo an even more ancient reverence for dogs as creatures of healing and protection. A reverence cultivated by the close companionship, coevolution and cooperation between humans and canines since the Stone Age.

- by Sarah Janes
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- History, Ancient History, Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology

Egyptians used tree imagery over a long period of ancient history in mythological portrayals of revivification in the afterlife, and this aspect of Osirian religion can be distinguished from other manifestations of trees in afterlife texts, including tree goddesses. Classical myths, amuletic finds, and onomastic data all confirm that Osirian religion had an impact in the Levant during the period of Job’s composition. The Book of Job shows a general awareness of Egyptian religion, and the biblical book’s specific constellation of images related to trees and the hope for renewed life are most plausibly to be associated with the Egyptian mythemes described above. The recognition that Job toys with Egyptianizing ideas enriches the reader’s sense of his theological audacity and complexity as a character.

- by rudolph bauer
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- Critical Theory, Religion, Gnosticism, Buddhism

The present article discusses a historical tendency among scholars to focus on male-gendered deities in the Germanic corpus, a boom period of goddess studies in the 1990s under the influence of Marija Gimbutas, and the place of Great Goddess theory in the field of ancient Germanic studies today. Great Goddess theory is argued to remain an influence in ancient Germanic studies, particularly in the field’s tendency to identify goddesses as extensions of a single entity.

- by Joseph S . Hopkins
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- Archaeology, Historical Linguistics, Medieval Studies, Indo-European Studies

This paper investigates cultural adaptations of ancestral traditions between the Hellenistic and local elites in Western and Central Asia from an iconographic and symbolic point of view. It is recognized that the hegemonic Greek population made use of symbols such as the cornucopia and the mural crown (together with those emerging from the local background) in order to reiterate their control over resources. This can be also maintained from a merely symbolic perspective where the divinities legitimize the power of the new rulers and grant a fortunate, wealthy rule over a fertile rich-producing land. In considering select examples of material culture, this paper will look at the diffusion of some “western” symbols and their popularity in various later artefacts of the Indo-Iranian borderlands. Following the introduction of Hellenistic elements in the eastern regions the religious imagery was subject to a series of adaptations that in some cases had a longer life in local variations. This can be exemplified by the appropriation of “adapted symbols” by subsequent waves of conquerors that ended up in controlling the land that formerly was under the rule of Seleucus I.

Resumo: o presente artigo propõe realizar um levantamento acerca do culto da fertili-dade e os papéis das sagradas (qedoshot) de Asherah, e também dos sagrados (qedoshim) que faziam parte deste ambiente cultual, tendo em vista a religião popular e estatal no Antigo Israel. Para tal, se faz necessário um breve comen-tário acerca da dinâmica entre religião popular e estatal no Antigo Israel e os indícios arqueológicos e textuais sobre o culto à Deusa Asherah, para que então, se possa discorrer sobre o culto da fertilidade e as mulheres sagradas a serviço da Deusa. Palavras-chave: Sacerdotisa. Asherah. Culto. Deusa. Culto de Fertilidade.

- by Sue'Hellen Monteiro de Matos
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- Ancient Goddesses, Asherah, Fertility Cults

Lilith is a demonic succubus, implicated in human infidelity and unwholesome cravings. She falls upon hapless males in the night, stealing away their semen with sexy dream power and harvesting their nocturnal emissions to create her own... more

- by Sarah Janes
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- Mythology And Folklore, Philosophy, Classics, Mesopotamian Archaeology
- by Johanna H. Stuckey
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- Mesopotamian Archaeology, Inanna, Ancient Goddesses, Ishtar

Resumo: A profecia de Dêutero-Isaías é marco importante dentro do desenvolvimento do monoteísmo hebraico. Categoricamente os profetas e profetisas afirmam que não existem nenhum outro Deus além de Javé. Tendo esta afirmação como ponto de partida, juntamente com o pressuposto de o texto trazer consigo uma memória cultural, o presente artigo tem por objetivo evidenciar a influência das Deusas Asherah e Ishtar na construção da imagem materna de Javé em Dêutero-Isaías. Palavras-chave: Maternidade de Javé; Asherah; Ishtar; Dêutero-Isaías; Monoteísmo. Abstract: The Deutero-Isaiah prophecy is important milestone in the development of Hebrew monotheism. Categorically the prophets and prophetesses claim that there is no other God besides Yahweh. Taking this statement as a starting point, along with the assumption of the text bring a cultural memory, this article aims to demonstrate the influence of the Goddess Asherah and Ishtar in the construction of the maternal image of Yahweh in Deutero-Isaiah.

- by Sue'Hellen Monteiro de Matos
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- Ancient Goddesses, Asherah, Deutero-Isaiah

Mouras Encantadas are supernatural beings in Portuguese folklore. They live in megalith tombs and guard the entrance to the world beyond.
This study compares the archaeological data of the tombs to the folklore - stories, traditions, perceptions and beliefs concerning the tombs.
The aim of the study is to determine whether it is possible that some fragmentary material from the ancient religious worldview might have been carried to the present day in the symbolic level.
Theoretical background for the study is the idea of symbols as the core of myths - the oldest and most permanent strata of mythologies, which could remain unchangeable or chance very slowly, while the myths around would change faster, following the changes of the society.
Changes in burial habits indicate changes in society and in its ideology. The study is following the changes of burial practices, trying to find out what the changes are possibly telling about the ideologies prevailing in the society in different times, and what they tell about the significance given to the megalith tombs.
The conclusion of the study is that folklore of Portuguese megalith tombs has absorbed material from many different eras, throughout the long existence of the tombs, and that in consideration of the symbolic similarities between the archaeological material and the folklore, it is possible that some fragmentary material of the Neolithic worldview has really been carried to the present day, hidden inside the symbols of folklore.

- by Johanna H. Stuckey
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- Ancient Canaanite Religion, Ancient Goddesses

The Emergence of the Goddess: A Study of Venus in the Paleolithic and Neolithic Era

In 1976, I travelled to Greece. I was a young feminist and had read Helen Diner's Mothers and Amazons and while in Greece I read up on the Greek Myths. Travelling to Crete really turned my head and upon returning to Australia I decided to learn Greek. Initially it was Modern Greek but after a year of so I decided to learn Ancient Greek as my passion for mythic stories exploded. In 1981, I wrote a 10,000 word thesis entitled 'Women and Power: A Feminist Reading of the Homeric Hymns to Aphrodite and Demeter'. This work has sat in my drawers for all these decades because at the time there was nowhere to put out such a work. This essay comprises about half of the original and I have altered it only slightly to improve it, but I have not changed the argument in any major way. The original essay used untranslated Greek and for the purpose of publication I use Thelma Sargent's The Homeric Hymns: A Verse Translation published in 1975 as the source of the poetic text that I quote. It is an analysis of the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite and in it I argue that the hymn demonstrates the historical shift of power that occurred from matrifocal societies in which women – and goddesses as symbolic representations of women – held more power than they did once patriarchy became firmly established.

- by Susan Hawthorne
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- Greek Myth, Ancient Goddesses
- by Johanna H. Stuckey
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- Ancient Goddesses
- by Floriana Rubino
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- Mythology And Folklore, Cultural History, Music History, Folklore

Within the last decade the ancient Greek goddess Hekate has seen a noticeable surge of popularity: books, websites, symposia, courses, workshops, and societies dedicated to this goddess abound. Aspects of Hekate such as her association with magic and the importance of keys are foregrounded as essential aspects of her worship today. While having ancient precedents, these attributes are often chronologically and culturally decontextualised from Hekate religion in the ancient world. This paper examines the ancient and contemporary aspects of Hekate worship, distinguishes archaeologically and historically verified evidence for her iconography, myth and ritual, and compares it to modern imaginative and creative content that reshapes Hekate religion for today. Termed "Unsubstantiated Personal Gnosis" (UPG) within Pagan Reconstructionism (the attempt to practice historically verified ancient Pagan religions), and meaning the inclusion of personal inspiration that does not have a historical precedent, this paper argues that ancient religions, such as that of Hekate, need to be modified and directly engaged with through personal inspiration in order to be relevant-and indeed palatable-to contemporary practitioners. Examples of utilizing creativity and imagination within contemporary Hekate ritual will be provided, and its effectiveness assessed. It will be demonstrated that although much modern Hekate worship differs from what Pagan Reconstructionists would term "historically correct" procedure, that imagination and creativity can enliven ancient religions, enable their successful implementation, and consequently facilitate living relationships with ancient deities, such as Hekate, in the twenty-first century.

Torches hold significant symbolic value in Hellenic mythology, representing various concepts depending on the deity that wields them. This exploration highlights several prominent gods and goddesses associated with torches, each embodying... more

- by Eirini Tsotsou
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- Mythology And Folklore, Mythology, Symbolism, Goddess Spirituality

The Uruk Expansion, which took place during various phases throughout the 4 th millennium BC, also developed in Northern Mesopotamia. In the area of Birecik, in eastern Turkey, on the edge of the Euphrates, various archaeological sites have been discovered, showing different phases of expansion of the Uruk culture. We focus this study on the Surtepe site, a 8 ha settlement, where we have distinguished a possible Late Calcolithic 5 ritual building, in a phase that we consider Terminal Uruk within the chronology of this Mesopotamian culture.

- by Max Dashu
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- Women's Studies, Women's History, Roman Religion, Ancient Mediterranean Religions

Relationshop of Gnostic forms of the female Divine to Khokhmah, Isis, Ruha d'Qudsha and other traditions. Sophia, Barbelo, Arche, Eve/Zoë, and the theme of female creators "without a partner." Women in Gnostic scriptures, including Maryam / Mary Magdalene. Anti-woman, anti-natalist, anti-Judaism, anti-Pagan and anti-astrological discourses. Gnostic pessimism, female "error" or "lack," and the gradual degradation of Sophia in Gnostic Christian writings.

- by Max Dashu
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- Gnosticism, History of Astrology, Wisdom Literature, Mandaeans
- by Johanna H. Stuckey
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- Ancient Goddesses

From the kings seeking to sexually please Inanna in exchange for success in war, to the famed poems to Inanna by Enheduanna, to the peasant couple seeking fertility services from Inanna's cult, Inanna was popular among kings and peasants alike throughout the entire Bronze Age. Some scholars assert her role in myths as a “gender transgressor” actually worked to reify cultural gender norms by pointing out the boundaries she outrageously crossed (eg. Frymer-Kensky). Given the evidence for homosexuality (including men living as wives dressing as females and using female names), transvestism, limited ritual prostitution, the “sacred marriage” ritual between goddess and king, and non-heteronormativity in Mesopotamian culture, I suggest Inanna may actually represented concrete social realities among Mesopotamians. While non-heteronormativity may not have been practiced by a majority, Inanna's myths and her professional cult personnel may have offered a safe ideological and social space for those who did not fit the larger societal construction of gender and sexuality.

- by Christopher E Ortega
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- Archaeology, Gender Studies, Queer Studies, Sex and Gender